USB Stick Recommendations

KN4THX · 3 May 2018, 22:51

So I am at the 64gb mark with my SD card and am debating a flash drive for the following reasons:

Easier/much faster read/write access to Rom directories
Some claim the speed of the pi is better
Easier/faster file access in general
Can run on cheaper/smaller SD cards in the future

Can anyone recommend any quality USB 3.0 sticks? I have been fond of the USB drives that are the size of a dongle but I see mixed reviews on quality.

Also, can anyone provide any better points leaning towards or away from USB storage?

Thanks and appreciated.

BoxDrop · 5 Apr 2018, 16:44

I've been pretty impressed with the Sandisk Ultra Fit. My main complaints are that it is absurdly easy to lose, and it can be hard to pry out of a USB port sometimes.

I don't have much experience with the benefits or downsides of USB vs SD, but it's been nice to be able to move files to the pi's through USB, instead of network share which sometimes just chokes. Having part of the pi's file structure be fat32 has caused a couple of edge case problems regarding permissions (or lack thereof), but not unfixable ones.

ClassicGMR · 5 May 2018, 14:20

@boxdrop I was going to buy an Ultra Fit card so my SNES case wouldn't have a huge drive (relative to the case size) sticking out of the side. Unfortunately every review on them has been the same: the major overheating problem they have - like to the point of being physically unable to hold them because they get so hot.

Granted it's all about the write process - reads don't seem to heat the card - but I'm not even going to risk that once with grand kids playing with the console.

I bought a SanDisk Cruzer 128GB. Works fine... looks ugly. But hey... it works fine. :) Just keep telling myself that.

In about 2-3 months (yeesh!!) most places will get the Back To School items in. One PDQ at Walmart has had USB drives every year. Can usually get a cheap 64GB blade drive for $4.97.

BobHarris · 5 May 2018, 15:02

@classicgmr I have a Sandisk Ultra fit too. I do wonder if the overheating is a usb 3.0 issue. My laptop only has 2.0 usb ports and the Pi does too. I've never experienced the stick getting too hot to touch.
Still I don't like these reports either so I've looked further and a lot of people seem to like the Sandisk 64 gb Cruzer blade 2.0 flash drive..so my next flash drive will be that one.

KN4THX · 5 May 2018, 15:07

@classicgmr @BoxDrop I did order a Samsung Fit to test out the heat issues. The reviews on the Samsung didn't seem to be as bad on the heat issues and like you said, it will be mostly readingdata. I figured it would be my best bet as it wont protrude from the pi, allowing me to leave it in even during transport. I'll let you know how the heat is as I have 40gb of roms that I will allow the usbrom service to copy automatically from the pi to the USB drive as a test.

BoxDrop · 5 May 2018, 17:27

@classicgmr said in USB Stick Recommendations:

the major overheating problem they have - like to the point of being physically unable to hold them because they get so hot.
Granted it's all about the write process - reads don't seem to heat the card - but I'm not even going to risk that once with grand kids playing with the console.

Ah, yeah I didn't think about that. The metal plug does get very hot after moving a bunch of files. Good point.

KN4THX · 6 May 2018, 23:15

The Pi has been transferring data from the sd card to the usb nonstop for a couple of hours and it doesn't really feel warm at all. I can't take it out of the Pi during transfer obviously, but what I can touch feels no warmer than the FLIRC case that surrounds it. It's not as fast as the Sandisk though, and is only transferring at 2.0 speeds (or seemingly way below that).

ClassicGMR · 6 May 2018, 23:35

@thedatacereal Yes you won't have heating problems unless you write at 2.0+ speeds. Definitely at 3.0 speeds.

I'm just personally not willing to use one. Just my $0.02.

KN4THX · 14 May 2018, 02:34

@classicgmr So the stick has been 100% RELIABLE.

it does get pretty warm but nothing crazy, I can grab it with my hand( my right hand not my left hand) and say " ooohh that's warm", but it never heats up enough to cook my imaginary girlfriend pancakes. It's a solid drive for a Low Profile drive which is perfect for this portable gaming system. No worries in the heat department unles every degree counts, and then maybe ou should do some research.

What I did dislike was while it was PERFECT for my setup profile-wise, the transfer speeds are poor. I have a Kingston HyperX from two or more years back that performs the same as a modern 3.0 hard drive. 100MB/s either way. Not mbs, MB/s. So this drive wasn't great n the transferring category.

If I had everything set, and didn't use it as an experimenting USB drive, it would have been fine. Basically, It's awesome for the look, and I am keeping it as my travel drive, as I am replacing it with a higher performace PC compatible drive but it does perfect for only needing rare updates.

Just my 2 cents and I wanted to update the thread.